With the NCAA and other leagues worldwide officially in full swing and the NBA season approaching its halfway point, NBA scouts are now hard at work looking for their teams’ next potential star and core pieces. As a part of Sports Business Classroom’s 2024 NBA Draft series, the following are versatile big men to watch ahead of June’s draft.

A versatile big man is a player who exceeds the size of a typical wing but plays an all-around game with a wide variety of skills. This category did not exist in the 2000s the same way it does today, with bigs who may play like a prototypical guard. They can initiate the offense, create for themselves and others, and effectively handle the ball. We also have bigs who can score at multiple levels and defend multiple or all positions.  

How a versatile big separates from a “big wing” is their primary position in the draft. Trevon Brazile from Arkansas, for example, is 6’10” and currently plays the power forward/center position. Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets, however, is also 6’10” but plays most of his minutes at small forward. So, in this case, Brazile is a “versatile big,” and Porter Jr. is a “big wing.”

A versatile forward in today’s NBA is Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. He plays the role of primary ballhandler and facilitator, can handle the ball, and scores at all three levels. Another example is the Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac, who is 6’10”, perimeter-oriented offensively, and can defend all five positions, but plays most of his minutes at power forward. 

Matas Buzelis and Tyler Smith of the NBA G League Ignite are among the most skilled players/versatile bigs expected in the 2024 NBA Draft pool. However, they bring forward their own specific set of skills. Buzelis displays shades of Franz Wagner. He can be a secondary playmaker and score at all three levels, while Tyler Smith is more of a defensively-oriented, off-ball scorer. Smith thrives off cutting and fearlessly attacking the basket.

 

2024 Versatile Big Men Rankings 

Potential First Round Picks:

  1.     Matas Buzelis – G-League Ignite
  2.     Tyler Smith – G-League Ignite
  3.     Tidjane Salaun – Cholet Basket (France)
  4.     Trevon Brazile – Arkansas
  5.     Bobi Klintman – Cairns Taipans (NBL Australia)

Potential Second Round Picks:

  1.     Baba Miller – Florida St.
  2.     Dillon Mitchell – Texas
  3.     Tristan da Silva – Colorado
  4.     Grant Nelson – Alabama
  5.     Isaiah Miranda – Oklahoma St. 

Undrafted/G-League:

  1.     Coleman Hawkins – Illinois
  2.     Ousmane N’Diaye – Saski Baskonia B (Spain)
  3.     Lachlan Olbrich – Illawarra Hawks (NBL Australia)

Buzelis is a prospect any team would be excited to add to their roster. He can plug in and impact any lineup as a scorer, ballhandler, pick-and-roll partner for the lead guard, etc. His draft stock has been fluctuating thus far after a slow return from a minor injury, but he is a safe pick that you can expect most (if not all) teams picking in the top 10 to consider strongly.

Nelson and Miller have been relatively popular on social media in the second round as potential sleeper picks with their impressive skillsets combined with their size. However, Mitchell, a sophomore at the University of Texas, has surprised many with his heavy increase in production after his underwhelming freshman year. Mitchell brings forward a high upside as a versatile defender with potential elite finishing ability at the rim, excellent touch, and athleticism. His jump shot has shown slight flashes so far this season, but his most significant question mark is whether he will ever be able to become a consistent and reliable scorer outside of the paint. He has yet to make a three-pointer at the NCAA level, and, at only 6’8”, that is a weakness that NBA teams will have to consider before drafting him.

Finally, Olbrich is a very intriguing prospect at the back end of the draft. Olbrich spent his 2022-23 season with the University of California, Riverside, where he displayed his offensive versatility. This season, Olbrich has returned to his home country of Australia to join the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. He has yet to spark much legitimate draft talk. Still, with his potential to score at all three levels, NBA teams may consider taking a flyer on him after the draft and allow him to develop in the G League—where offensively-oriented prospects can show off what they can do.